


Squared Off

by bethagain



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, JediFest, Mystery, Phase Two, Rogue Robin, roguerobin027
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-17 00:17:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10582446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethagain/pseuds/bethagain
Summary: A continuing story for Jedifest's Rogue Robin 2017!InPart One, byengmaresh,"Jyn and Kaytoo are trapped in a box. Closet. Prison. Whatever it is, they need to get out."So now Kaytoo's broken them out. Where are they and what in the heck are they doing there?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [squared off](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10217228) by [engmaresh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/engmaresh/pseuds/engmaresh). 



> This was written for Phase Two of Jedifest's Rogue Robin game. Part one, which was written by [engmaresh](http://archiveofourown.org/users/engmaresh/pseuds/engmaresh), is [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10217228/chapters/22673795) under the same title.
> 
> Check out the AO3 collection for more round robin stories.
> 
> Hopefully another writer will pick this up for the third and final round, because I'd love to know what happens next!

The closet door gives way easily under the vibroblade.

Jyn might have cut a tiny hole, peered out, taken stock before going any further.

Kaytoo chops a huge rectangle out of the door and barely has to bend down before he steps right through. He’s already straightening up on the other side while Jyn, flat against the closet wall, peeks carefully, sidelong, through the opening.

“It’s deserted,” Kaytoo says. He doesn’t say _Come on Jyn, stop being dramatic and let’s go,_ but it’s right there in his tone.

Jyn, who doesn’t have built-in armor and can’t be repaired with widely available parts, hangs back a little longer.

The only noise from outside the closet is the soft clanking of Kaytoo’s joints as he moves about the room. Still pressed against the wall, Jyn can also hear a soft hum that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere. It’s the familiar sound of a realspace engine propelling a ship sedately from planet to planet. Probably not from star to star, they would have gone to hyperspace for that. A hyperdrive engine has a different sound: a lower, steadier growl.

When a minute or so goes by and nothing attacks Kaytoo, Jyn steps slowly through the gaping hole.

They’re in a storage room. There are crates stacked up along one wall and bits of wrapping littering the floor. Kaytoo is leaning down, inspecting the contents of one of the crates.

“Food supplies.” His head turns, photoreceptors focusing on Jyn. “You must be hungry.”

She is, Jyn realizes. Starving, actually. She has no idea how long they’ve been there, so no idea when she ate last. Kaytoo reaches into the crate and tosses something to her.

She catches it with reflexes born of years as a rebellion fighter, as a street kid, as—long ago—a little girl playing catch with her dad. It’s a protein bar, wrapper stamped with a familiar manufacturer’s name.

Jyn rips it open. “Thanks,” she says, a little belatedly, through a mouthful of pressed, sugar-sweetened protein. “I don’t suppose any of those have water rations in them?”

Kaytoo opens a few more crates, then tosses another item Jyn’s way. It’s a rectangular package containing some kind of fruit juice, or at least that’s what the picture on the front suggests. It’s not a fruit she recognizes, but it’s shown hanging off a tree branch with purplish leaves. She considers it—safe for humans?—then shrugs and breaks the seal. When a small sip doesn’t burn her mouth or cramp her stomach, she goes ahead and drains it.

“Better?” Kaytoo asks, and Jyn nods. “Good,” he says, and then of course has to add, “I’m so glad I’m not human. You’re going to have to use the refresher soon, too, aren’t you?”

Jyn makes a face at him and starts examining the rest of their surroundings. The walls are bare except for a few spray-painted signs in a language she can’t read. They look like instructions or warnings—probably things like “exit,” “don’t stack above this line,” “turn off the lights when you leave.”

The crates contain mostly food and other daily supplies. No weapons.

Jyn’s just walked over to the room’s one other door and is studying the controls when it slides open in front of her.

“Hey!” The exclamation comes from a young man on the other side. He’s dressed in worn trousers and shirt, no uniform. He’s not armed, at least not that she can see. He just stands there grinning at her.

Kaytoo strides over, clanking loudly, and lifts the guy up by his throat.

“Hey!” the man croaks out again before Kaytoo’s grip silences him. He dangles there, arms waving, face going red, until Jyn says, “Put him down.”

Kaytoo stares down at her. It’s pretty impressive, Jyn thinks, how his metal face, in which only the eyes move, can register confusion. “Why, Jyn? Killing our captors seems like a good idea if we want to get out of here.”

Jyn sighs. “We don’t know that for sure, Kaytoo. I’d rather not kill the wrong guy.”

Kaytoo lowers the man to the ground, not gently. “There’s bound to be more of them. I’m sure they can spare one.”

The young man, still gasping for breath, manages to get out a few words. “Not more. Just me and Dey.” He coughs, hands coming up to his own throat, feeling for bruises. “You’re not going to do that again, are you?”

“Maybe,” Kaytoo says, at the same time as Jyn says, “No.” Kaytoo’s head swivels toward her. He looks like he’s raising his eyebrows, even though he doesn’t have any. He’s right, so she adds, “Probably not.”

“I guess it looks bad,” the man admits. “We didn’t mean to freak you out. We were trying to rescue you. Do you mind if I—“ He gestures toward the closet.

Jyn's hand goes her hip where her blaster ought to be, finds only the space above the empty holster. “We’ll be watching you,” she says, trying to make it sound stern, like a threat.

To her surprise the guy agrees easily, “Sure, ok, no sudden moves.”

This is not the balance of power she was expecting. Is he killing time until backup arrives?

He inspects the remains of the closet door. “Wow, that’s really… You didn’t have to do that, we would have let you out. Man, that’s going to cost some credits to fix.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have locked us up,” Jyn tells him. “What exactly are you up to? Why are we here?”

The guy sits down on one of the crates. He reaches into the one beside it and Jyn goes tense, wondering if they somehow missed a stash of weapons. But he just pulls out another protein bar, unwraps it, and takes a bite. Jyn and Kaytoo stare. Finally he says, “I told you, we were rescuing you. We’ll let you off at the next planet. Sorry about your friend, though. We couldn’t get to him in time.”

Jyn feels her heart sink. “Our… friend?”

“Dark hair. Heavily armed, kind of cute? That one.” The guy shakes his head. “Pretty sure they got him.”


End file.
